Resurrection - A time of New Birth & Promotion!!

I'm sitting here on this April morning, leading up to Resurrection Sunday, and thinking about the upcoming changes in my life and our ministry, but thinking even more about the changes that were about to take place in Jesus' life and ministry, this week, thousands of years ago!

He was approaching His time of destiny, the very reason He was born into this earth! His death, burial, and resurrection would change the world and mankind forever! He went from being a baby, born in a barn, to being a carpenter by trade, to then begin His ministry at the age of 30 years old. After His baptism in the river Jordan, He would then be known as the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, to those who would believe! After fulfilling His earthly ministry and being resurrected from the dead, He is now known as the King of kings, Lord of lords, and our High Priest for eternity, seated at the Father's right hand!! WOW, there has never been, and never will be, another person who has walked the face of the earth, who has known promotion like Jesus has!

Resurrection sunday is a day of new beginnings, a time of new birth, a time of promotion! Romans 8:29 declares that Jesus is..."the firstborn among many brethren." We, who have believed that Jesus is the Christ (the Anointed One) and have believed, that He was raised from the dead, and received Him as our Savior, are now reborn in our spirits and are now one with Him. We are joint heirs with Jesus, seated with Him in the heavenly places!! Glory to God, that's some major promotion for us as well!!

 I also can't think about Resurrection sunday, without thinking about the fact, that it was also the birth of Christian Faith Fellowship, then known as "Church of Champions" in Keller, Tx., back in 1990. Little did we know, that Resurrection sunday, that we would become it's pastors and what all God had planned for us & the church over these last 24 yrs.! We were just obedient to get the work started, by finding a building and having services, thinking God would bring us a pastor! Well, He did, just not who we thought it would be, but who God had chosen!

Here it is 24 years later, and we have found ourselves in that same position of finding a building, so we can keep the work that God started, back in 1990 in Keller TX. going, and reaching more people with the life changing message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!  At the beginning of 2014, during our 3 day fast, God spoke to me that this would be a year of...."Advancement & Promotion"...I look at this move as nothing but that!!

I want to encourage my church family and anyone who reads this, to always remember, that the beginning of something "new", also means an "end" to something. Yes, it is sad to say "goodbye" to things in our past, and in our case, to the building we have worshipped in for the last 18 yrs. and the memories we have made there...BUT,  "new beginnings" also brings, a "new excitement" of what lies ahead, and new memories to be made! Just as Jesus was wiling & obedient to "go" wherever and "do" whatever the Father's will was for Him, and He saw promotion, so will the Father bring promotion to us, as we are willing to "go" & "do"! We will see "advancement & promotion" in 2014, and this is just the beginning!  I love you, remember God's plans for us, are in His hands!

Until next time, may the Lord bless & keep you, and give you peace!

Your Sister in Christ,

Kathy

New Year, New You?? The "New" is already in "You"!!

Happy New Year everyone!! I love the month of January, it is a "fresh start" and a "clean slate", I love that about it!! I'm always in a cleaning & organizing frenzy this time of year, I'm not a "spring cleaner" but a "New Year cleaner"! Something about it just makes me want to go through cabinets, closets and drawers (you know, those areas no one see's but you) cleaning out all the stuff I don't need or use anymore! A time to organize the things I do need and use, so I know where they are and can get to them quickly, when needed! In the process I often find things I forgot I had. Things that would've been very helpful to me in the year that just passed, if I would've known I had access to them! Keep that in mind, as I change thoughts for a moment!

At the beginning of year we also hear this phrase a lot, "A New Year, A New You", I have to admit, it usually makes me roll my eyes when I hear it, but God showed me something "new" about it this year and combined it with my cleaning and organizing frenzy! Not only do we need to "clean out" the things that aren't needful or useful to us in the natural & spiritual sense...BUT, He showed me that we also need to recognize the things that are there, spiritually, that maybe we forgot we had access to and have been there all along in our "new spirit"!

If you are a born-again believer...you..your spirit, the real you, has already been made "New"! 2 Cor. 5:17 (Amp.) says...."Therefore, if any person is in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation ( a new creature altogether), the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold the fresh and new has come."

Hallelujah!!! That is Good News, but how often do we forget that? The old has passed, the fresh and new has come!! We tend to refer to ourselves in the natural (our body) and the soul realm (where we are still dealing with old thoughts and habits) more than we do the spiritual realm and "your spirit" is who you really are!! God has made you, your spirit, "new"! He placed His "Holy Spirit" in our spirits when we accepted Him as our Savior! We have access to the Holy Spirit, (who is God Himself ) and everything He is and has!! Look at Gal. 5:22 (Amp.) - "But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self control (self restraint)..." WOW....this is all available to the believer at anytime!! I don't know about you, but I could have benefited from some of these fruits in the passed year but forgot I had access to them!

Realize this "New Year" that you already are a "New You" and draw on all that is already in you and accessible to you by the Holy Spirit, who is in you!!

Until next time, may the Lord bless and keep you!

Your Sister in Christ,
Kathy